IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE TO ME. THE SHAPE OF THIS CLUB WOULD INDEED SERVE WELL AS AN IMPLEMENT TO OPEN A COCONUT, CHOP UP OR MASH A BREADFRUIT AND EVEN AS A CARVERS MALLET OR FERN ROOT MASHER. IT ALSO HAS THE PROPER SHAPE OF A PATU CLUB AND NO DOUBT COULD FULFILL THAT FUNCTION ALSO.
I SUSPECT OTHER TYPES OF MALLETS OR TOOLS WOULD WORK MUCH BETTER AS A CARVERS TOOL AND THE ADZ WAS THE COMMON TOOL FOR THE LARGER WORK AND THE WIDTH OF THIS CLUB WOULD INTERFERE WITH THE CARVERS ABILITY TO SEE WHAT HE WAS DOING ON SMALL FINE WORK. BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN USED FOR SUCH BECAUSE IT WAS AVALABLE BY SOME INDIVIDUALS, AT LEAST THE ONE PICTURED WAS USED AS SUCH.
EARLY MAORI UNLIKE MORE MODERN MAN AND MAORI HAD FEW BELONGINGS AND THE FEW THINGS THEY CARRIED MAY HAVE BEEN USED FOR MANY DIFFERENT USES KIND OF LIKE A SWISS ARMY KNIFE.
THE PATU FORM SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN WIDELY CARRIED MOST OF THE TIME. WOMEN ARE OFTEN PICTURED WITH THEM AND MAY HAVE OWNED AND USED THEM. NO DOUBT THE SHORT CLUB DID HAVE AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN MAORI SOCIETY AND WAS CARRIED MORE OFTEN IN DAILY LIFE THAN THE LARGER WAR CLUBS. PERHAPS FOR PRESTIEGE AND AS A MULTI TOOL AS WELL. JUST LOGICAL CONJECTURE ON MY PART, BUT OFTEN TRIBAL CUSTOM OR TAPU HAS SOME THINGS ILLOGICAL AS WELL.
